This represents an average annual growth rate of 4.33 per cent in the number of these units and, what is more important, that of 4.57 per cent in employment. If the units in the khadi, village industries and coir industries are also taken into account, the employment is well over 332 million. This is thus rightly called the segment which provides employment next only to agriculture.
A simple analysis shows that the employment intensity of the segment (registered units) is 1 person for every 1.49 lakh of rupees invested in fixed assets, as against 1 person per Rs. 5.56 lakh in the large organised sector. And, the rate of growth of employment in this segment is well above that of the population of India (1.5 per cent) or, that in the large industries segment (0.85 per cent).
3. The contribution of this segment to the economic sinews of the country is no less significant. Nearly 39 per cent of the gross manufacturing output and 34 per cent of the exports of India arise from these enterprises. During the last four years of the X Plan, the output of the segment has recorded a real growth rate of 8.87 per cent annually.
Over six thousand products manufactured by these include several sophisticated items used in high technology areas like nuclear power, missile and space programmes, information technology, biotechnology, etc. The level of exports by this segment also testifies to its overall competitiveness in the global markets.
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Press Information Bureau, India